Flashlight with magnetic support



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FLASHLIGHT WITH MAGNETIC SUPPORT 5. Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WILLIAM H.DORING ATTORNEY mw wm mm E.

l ov. W, H970 Filed Jan.. 12, 1968 ov., lm R70 W. H. BORING l I 39539FLASHLIGHT WITH MAGNETIC SUPPORT Filed Jan. 12,` 196e 3 sheets-sneet 2INVENTOR.

WILLIAM H. DORING ATTORNEY jam; W. H.

FLASHLIGHT WITH MAGNETIC SUPPORT Filed Jan. 12. 1968 5 Sheets-,SheetINVENTOR. WILLIAM H. DORING mired yStates Patent 3 539 800 FLASHLIGHTWITH IVIAGNETIC SUPPORT William H. Doring, Old Greenwich, Conn.,assignor to Union Carbide Corporation, a corporation of New York FiledJan. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 697,387 Int. Cl. F211 15/18 U.S. Cl. 240-52.1510 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE This invention relates to magnetdevices.

It has heretofore -been known to secure a magnet to an article, forexample a flashlight, to enable the article to be removably attached toa magnet attracting surface. Magnets are commonly riveted to the articleor enclosed in a housing which is riveted to the article.

These magnets have traditionally been bulky and have detracted from thegeneral appearance of the article. In many instances the magnets, thusattached, have also interfered with the utility of the article. Forexample, when attached to a flashlight, they have prevented easyinsertion and removal of the flashlight from ones pocket or, whenattached to the switch of a flashlight, they have greatly increased thechances of accidentally turning on the flashlight while slipping it intoones pocket.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a magnetattachment device which does not detract from the appearance oroperation of the article to which it is attached.

It is another object to provide a magnet attachment device which issubstantially hidden from view when not 1n use.

These and other objects are accomplished by a magnet assembly fordetachably attaching an article to a magnet attracting surface whichassembly is movable from a position substantially hidden within saidarticle to a position at least partially protruding therefrom, when saidarticle is positioned proximate to a magnet attracting surface, tomagnetically engage' said surface and attach the article thereto untilmagnetic contact between the magnet and the surface is broken.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational View partly in section of a flashlightincorporating the device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2 2 0f FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a View similar to FIG. 2 but showing the magnet assembly inits raised operative position; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded View of the parts of the magnet assembly shown inFIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, there is shown a flashlight adaptedto receive therein conventionl batteries 12. The flashlight isconstructed in three sections, a head assembly 14, a bottom cap 16 andan intermediate case 18. The bottom cap 16 is made of thin gage 'metalsuch as chrome plated steel, aluminum, ybrass or copper coated steel orother conductive material, preferably a ice metal capable of beingfinished to a highly polished state. The intermediate case 18 ispreferably molded from a suitable plastic material, and the headassembly 14 is preferably a thin gage metal or a molded plastic.

The head assembly 14 contains the usual lens, reflector, bulb and bulbholder parts 20, 22, 24 and 26. A bulb holder llange 28 is secured tothe reflector 22 and electrically contacts one terminal of the bulbfilament. The other terminal of the bulb filament, that is, the endportion of the bulb base makes contact with a terminal 30 of the bulbholder 26. The terminal 30 is maintained in electrical Contact with thebatteries 12 by a coil spring 32 which bridges a void between thebatteries 12 and the terminal 30. The positioning of the coil spring 32between the batteries 12 and the terminal 30 permits the batteries 12 tobe inserted in the flashlight with both positive terminals facing eitherthe front or rear of the flashlight, a desirable feature which is notfound in the usual flashlight construction where the spring is placed atthe rear of the flashlight.

The Ibatteries 12 are in electrical contact with the bottom cap 16 ofthe flashlight 10 and the electrical circuit between the filament of thebulb 24, the bottom cap 16 and the batteries 12 is completed by means ofthe usual switch assembly 34. The switch assembly 34 comprises anelongated rectangular contactor strip 36 made of a thin gageelectrically conductive material such as bronze or brass coated steeland has an elongated flexibly resilient extension section 38. Thecontactor strip 36 is disposed inside the intermediate case 18 with theextension section 38 projecting toward the head assembly 14. Thecontactor strip 36 extends, at the end opposite the resilient extensionsection 38, in a direction toward the bottom cap 16 and slidinglycontacts a wear plate 40 of a conductive metal which is in contact withthe bottom cap 16.

Actuation of the contactor strip 36 into engagement with the bulb holderflange 28 is: performed by manipulating a switch slide 42 disposedoutside and adjacent the intermediate case 18. The switch slide 42 ismade from a non-conductive material, for example, polypropylene, andoperatively engages the contactor strip 36 through an aperture in theintermediate case 18. In this manner the switch slide 42 together withthe contactor strip 36 may be reciprocatingly slidingly moved as.` aunit, relative to the intermediate case 18, a distance sumcient tocomplete and break the electrical circuit.

The magnet assembly 44, which embodies the present invention, ispositioned inside the intermediate case 18, opposite the switch assembly34, in the void between the head assembly 14 and the batteries 12. Themagnet assembly 44 is enclosed within a rectangular lbox-like housing 46disposed withinand adjacent the wall of the intermediate case 18. Thehousing 46 is made from the same non-conductive material as theintermediate case 18 and is preferably molded as an integral partthereof. Positioned in the housing 46 are a pair of opposed elongatedcollector bars or angles 48 made of nonmagnetic, but magnet conductivematerial, for example, steel. Each collector 48 consists of a relativelyshort leg 50 fwhich, in assembly with the other collector, is disposedin spaced planar relation thereto and forms a short gap therebetween,and a relatively longer leg 52 adapted to lit into a corresponding slot54 in the intermediate case 18. Seated within the housing 46 and innested engagement with the angled collector bars 48 is a permanentmagnet 56, preferably made of Alnico metal. The collector bars 48 andthe magnet 56 are held together by magnetic attraction and are kept inalignment by an elongated insulating member or spacer 58 disposedbetween the magnet 56 and the collector bars 48.

The housing 46 is suiciently deep to permit the magnet 56, the spacer 58and the collector bars 48, which make up the magnet assembly 44, to nestat the bottom thereof in a manner such that the longer legs 52 of thecollector bars 48 are aligned with slots 54 but are not protrudingtherefrom (FIG. 2). An elongated leaf spring 60 is disposed between themagnet 56 and the intermediate case 18 and is arcuately bowed with itsmedial portion in resilient engagement with the topside of the magnet 56and its ends in resilient contact with the underside of intermediatecase 18. The spring 60 is made from a non-magnetic material such asbrass and is of a length which will permit it to lie flat within thehousing 46. The spring 60 is resilient enough to maintain the magnetassembly 44 against the innermost wall of housing 46 but is flexibleenough to allow the magnet assembly 44 to rise to the underside of theintermediate case 18 upon magnetic attraction of the legs 52 to anexternal magnet attracting surface 62. The legs S2 serve to conduct themagnetism beyond the housing 46 through slots 54 in order that themagnet strength may be strongly applied to the magnet attracting surface62 lwithout significant loss or attenuation of the magnet strength bythe intermediate case 18.

The operation of the magnet assembly can best be described as a hiddenmagnet which automatically pops up when needed to magnetically attachthe flashlight to a magnet attracting surface. The magnet assembly isretained in a hidden position within the flashlight by the spring untilthe flashlight is positioned proximate to a magnet attracting surfacewhereupon the attractive force of the magnet, directed through thecollector legs, overcomes the resiliency of the spring and allows themagnet assembly to pop up. The legs thereupon protrude from theflashlight through the slots, engage the attracting surface andmagnetically hold the flashlight against the surface (FIG. 3).

To disengage the flashlight from the attracting surface it is merelynecessary to pull the flashlight in a direction away from the attractingsurface with sufficient force to overcome the magnetic attraction. Oncethe flashlight is free of the attracting surface the spring is unopposedby magnetic attraction and retracts the magnet assembly to its initialposition.

While a leaf spring is preferred, it is to be understood that a helicalor coil spring or any other resilient and deformable member can be used.Also while it is preferred to construct the magnet and a pair ofcollectors as separate parts, it is also possible to form the collectorsas parts of the magnet itself or to use a single collector or more thantwo collectors with a corresponding number of slots being provided.

The invention has been particularly described with reference to use in aflashlight, but it is to be understood that the magnet assembly of thepresent invention has use in articles other than flashlights. Anyarticle which it is desired to detachably attach to a magnet attractingsurface can be used in combination with the present invention.

Likewise, it will be understood that while this invention has beendescribed with reference to many specific details thereof, it isapparent that the invention is not limited to such details.

What is claimed is:

1. In a flashlight having a casing, bulb filament and battery parts, theimprovement which comprises a magnet assembly for detachably attachingthe flashlight to a magnet attracting surface, such assembly comprisinga spring, a magnet, and a collector means associated with said magnet,said magnet and said collector means being substantially whollypositioned within said casing and being resiliently held away from theouter wall thereof by said spring, said outer wall having at least oneaperture therein aligned with said collector means, and said magnetbeing of sufficient force to overcome the resiliency of said springthereby allowing said magnet to approach said outer wall and saidcollector means to partially protrude through said aperture when saidmagnet assembly is positioned proximate to a magnet attracting surface.

Z. A flashlight in accordance with claim 1 `wherein said collector meansis a pair of oppositely disposed angled collector bars straddling saidmagnet.

3. A flashlight in accordance with claim 1 wherein the resiliency ofsaid spring is sufficient to retract said collector means and saidmagnet to their initial substantially hidden position upon removal ofsaid flashlight from the immediate vacinity of said magnet attractingsurface.

4. A flashlight in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spring is a coilspring.

5. A flashlight in accordance with claim 1 wherein said magnet is Alnicometal.

6. A flashlight in accordance with claim 1 wherein said magnet assemblyis positioned between the battery and the bulb filament parts of saidflashlight.

7. ln a flashlight which is an elongated casing having a lens housing atone end thereof, a battery compartment at the opposite end thereof, ametallic spring within said casing contacting said lens housing and saidbattery compartment and a switch means on said casing for completing andinterrupting the electrical circuit between said battery compartment andsaid lens housing, the improvement which comprises a magnet assemblydisposed substantially wholly Iwithin said casing between said batterycompartment and said lens housing, such assembly comprising a spring, amagnet, and a collector means associated with said magnet, said magnetand said collector means being positioned within said casing and lbeingresiliently held away from the outer wall thereof by said spring, saidouter wall having at least one aperture therein aligned with saidcollector means, and said magnet being of suflicient force to overcomethe resiliency of said spring thereby allowing said magnet to approachsaid outer wall and said collector means to partially protrude throughsaid aperature when said magnet assembly is positioned proximate to amagnet attracting surface.

v8. A flashlight in accordance with claim 7 wherein said collector meansis a pair of oppositely disposed angled collector bars straddling saidmagnet.

9. A flashlight in accordance with claim 7 wherein the resiliency ofsaid spring is suflicient to retract said collector means and saidmagnet to their initial substantially hidden position upon removal ofsaid article from the immediate vicinity of said magnet attractingsurface.

10. A flashlight in accordance with claim 7 wherein said spring is acoil spring and said magnet is Alnico metal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,341,701 9/1967 Moore et al.240-52.1S XR 2,690,348 9/1954 Teetor 335-285 X 2,886,664 5/1959 Graubner240-52.15 X

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner R. L. MOSES, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl.X.R. 24'0-5 2.5; 248-206

